Air supply grille



May 1, 1962 E. T. KELLY ETAL 3,031,945

AIR SUPPLY GRILLE 40d 42a 22d INVENTORS` EDWARD T KELLY JOSEPH M`SCHAFFER A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,031,945 AIR SUPPLY GRILLEEdward T. Kelly and Joseph M. Schaffer, Waterloo, Iowa,

assignors to Waterloo Register Company, Inc., Waterloo, Iowa, acorporation of Iowa Filed .lune 27, 1960, Ser. No. 38,809 2 Claims. (Cl.98-110) This invention relates to grilles for supplying air to a room orother enclosure for heating, cooling, Ventilating, or other purposesand, more particularly, the invention relates to air supply grilles ofthe type which are adapted to be mounted in an opening in a room wallfor the discharge of air to the room, and which have their front edgeportions substantially flush with the front surface of the wall.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide an airsupply grille of the type mentioned which comprises separable core andframe assemblies, the latter assembly being iixedly mounted in anopening in a room wall and the former being removably securedtherewithin.

A more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of anair supply grille of the type mentioned wherein concealed lockingdevices are provided for removably securing the core within the frame, agrille having a smooth unbroken and attractive front surface thus beingprovided.

The drawing shows two embodiments of the invention and such embodimentswill be described, 'but it will be understood that various changes maybe made from the constructions disclosed, and that the drawing anddescription are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope ofthe invention, the claims forming a part of this specification beingrelied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. l is a front view of an air supply grille constituting a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FlG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the grille taken as indicatedby the lines 2 2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken as indicated by the lines 3--3 inFIG. l. l

FlG. 4 is a fragmentary front view of an air supply grille equipped witha concealed locking device and con` stituting an alternative embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section taken as indicated by the lines 5-5 inFIG. 4 and showing the detailed construction of the concealed lockingdevice.

Referring particularly to FIG. l, it will be observed that an air supplygrille illustratedtherein includes a core or core assembly indicatedgenerally at lll, and a frame or frame assembly indicated generally at12. The grille is shown in association with a room wall 14 and, as bestillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame '12 thereof is mounted within anopening 16 in the wall. The opening 16 is generally rectangular and theframe 12 is of similar configuration and comprises elongated spacedparallel side walls 18, 18 and short connecting end walls 20, 20.Preferably, the frame 12 is formed of sheet metal and the side walls 1S,18 and end walls 20, 20 thereof are formed integrally or weldedtogether.

Formed along the front edges of the side walls 18, 13 and the end wallsZtl, '2li of the frame 12 is an outwardly projecting marginal flangeindicated generally at 22. The flange 22 engages and covers a marginalportion of the front surface of the room wall 14 adjacent the opening 16when the frame 12is mounted in said opening as shown. Said flangecomprises inner and outer portions 24 and 26. The inner portion 24 ofthe llange flatly engages the front surface of the room wall 14 adjacentthe opening 16 and the outer portion 26 thereof is preferably forwardlyoffset with respect to said inner portion so as to define an inwardlyand forwardly open marginal y3,3l',945 Patented May l, 1962 ECC groove28. As shown, said forwardly offset outer portion 26 of the flange isinclined and curves gradually rearwardlyto the room wall 14 from itsinner to its outer edge so as to deiine a channel 3ft for receiving agenerally rectangular gasket 32. The gasket $2-, held in the channel 30,engages the'room wall 14 and is preferably formed of a suitable softrubber or other similar material.

The frame 12 may be secured within the opening 16 in the room wall lbyscrews 34, 34 entere-d in said wall and passing through suitableopenings in the end walls 20, of the frame. Air for heating, cooling,Ventilating, or other purposes is supplied to the opening 16 in the roomwall by means of a supply duct 36. The duct 36 may be secured within theopening `16 with itsdischarge end projecting within the frame 12 byattachment with the screws 34, 34 as shown, or said duct may beotherwise held in place so as to discharge air through theaforementioned core 10 which will be described presently.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the core il) has elongated spacedparallel side Walls 3S, 38 and short connecting end walls 4l), 40. Thecore is preferably formed of sheet metal and the side and end walls 38,3S and 40, 40 may be formed integrally or may be welded together. Whenthe core is secured within the frame 12 as shown, its side walls 38, 3Sare adjacently parallel to but spaced from the side walls 18, 13 of theframe and its end walls 40, 40 are similarly situated in adjacentparallel but spaced relationship with the end walls 20, 2t) of saidframe. An outwardly projecting marginal ilange 42 formed at the frontedge of the side and end walls of the core 10 is disposed in theaforementioned marginal groove 2.8 dened by the frame flange 22. Thefront edges of said core side and end walls and the front surface ofsaid flange 42 are substantially flush with the front surface of theframe flange 22, and, more specifically, said edges and surface aresubstantially flush with the front surface of the forwardly offsetportion 26 of said flange. Preferaby and as shown, .the rear surface ofthe core flange 42 is spaced slightly forwardly from the inner portion24 of the frame flange by a small rearwardly projecting spacer flange orbead 44 formed along said core ange at its outer edge.

The core 10 is removably held within the frame 12 in the preferredembodiment of the invention shown in FlGS. l, 2 and 3 by means ofsuitable screws 46, 46 which are entered in aligned openings in the coreflange 42 and the inner portion 24 of the frame flange 22. Said screws46, 46 may also project rearwardly into the room wall 14 and, as shown,two screws 46, 46 are provided and they are located respectively in thecore and frame flanges adjacent the end walls 12d, 2li and 40, 40 ofsaid core and frame.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the side walls 38, 3S and the end walls 4d, 40of the core 16 cooperatively define a generally rectangular airpassageway 4S for receiving air from the supply duct 36 and fordischarging the same to the room or enclosure. Means are provided insaid air passageway for varying the free area thereof and controllingair ilow therethrough and said means preferably comprise a series oflongitudinal louvers 50, 50 and a series of transverse louvers 52, 52.The longitudinal louvers 50, 50 are spaced transversely and are parallelwith respect to each other and extend between the end walls 40, 40 ofthe core 10. At opposite ends said louvers 50, 50 have integral pivotpins 54, 54 which project outwardly through suitable bearing aperturesin said end walls 49, 40 of the core as best shown in FIG. 3. Exteriorlyof the end walls 40, 4G, the pivot pins 54, 54 are engaged by retainingwires 56, 56, one shown, so as to be frictionally held in adjustedpositions and to frictionally hold their wires 56, 56 are threadedserially through vthe spaces be- 3 tween the pivot pins 54, 54 and areheld at their ends by suitable ears 5%, 58 formed on the end walls 46,40 of the core and which may be crimped over said wires.

The transverse louvers 52, 52 are spaced longitudinally and extend inparallel relationship between the side walls 38, 38 of the coreV 10 withintegral pivot pins 60, 60 at opposite ends thereof projecting outwardlythrough suitable bearing apertures in said side walls. Retaining wires62, 62, one shown, are threaded serially through the spaces between thepivot pins 60, 60 exteriorly of the side Walls 38, 38 and engage andfrictionally hold said pins and their respective louvers in adjustedpositions. Ears 64, 64, like the ears 53, 5S, are formed on the sidewalls 3S, 38 and hold the retaining wires 62, 62 in place at oppositeends.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the frame 12 of the airsupply grille may be iixedly mounted within an opening in a room Wallwith the core 10 removably secured within said frame. The direction ofair flow through the core passageway '48 as well as the quantity of airsupplied through said passageway may be readily controlled by manualadjustment of the positions of the louvers 50, 50 and the louvers 52,52. The grille presents an attractive appearance in the room wall and isyet particularly well suited for the convenient removal of its core 10permitting easy access to the air supply `duct 36 or other interiorelements for cleaning or other purposes. The room Wall 114 vmay bepainted or other wise decorated as desired to or under the outer edge ofthe frame flange 22 and subsequent removal of the core 10 will in no waymar or otherwise destroy the attractive appearance of the walldecoration.

' In order to eliminate the need for connecting screws, such as thescrews 46, 46, and to provide for a clean, unbroken and attractiveappearance of the front surfaces of the supply grille, a concealedlocking device may be provided in accordance with another aspect of theinvention. In FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a portion of an alternativeair supply grille comprising a frame having an end wall 20a, a marginalange 22a, and a core with a marginal ange 42a, an end wall 46a,longitudinal louvers 50a, 50a, and transverse louvers 52a, 52a. Theframe and the core of FIGS. 4 and 5 may be identical with those of FIGS.l, 2 and 3 except for the omission of the connecting screws 46, 46 andthe ilange openings through which said screws pass.

A concealed locking device as indicated generally at 66 is associatedwith each end wall `40a of the core shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and saidlocking devices perform the function of the aforementioned connectingscrews 46, 46. Each locking device 66 includes a leaf spring 63 which ismounted at one end on an end wall llila of the core as by means ofsuitable rivets 76, 70. A locking pin 72 carried on and adjacent thefree end of the leaf spring 68 projects outwardly through an aperture 74in the adjacent end wall 40a and is biased outwardly by the spring to alocking position as shown in full lines in FIG. 5. In such position thelocking pin 72 is entered in an aperture 76 in the end wall 20a of thegrille frame which lies adjacent the end wall 40a of the core carryingthe locking device.

In addition to its locking position, the locking pin 72 has an inner orreleasing position, shown in broken lines in FIG. 5, and said pin may beurged manually to such position against the bias of its supportingspring 68. When the locking pin 72 is in the releasing position, it iswithdrawn from the aperture 76 in the end wall 20a of the framepermitting the core to be removed from the frame. To facilitate themovement of the locking pin 72 from its locking position to itsreleasing position, the free end of the spring 68 carrying the pin ispreferably formed to extend angularly inwardly away from the adjacentcore end wall 40a as shown at 78. A screw driver or other instrument maybe conveniently inserted between said free end of the spring and thecore end wall whereby to pry the spring away from said end wall and tourge the locking pin 72 to its releasing position. As best seen in FIG.4, the free ends of the spring 68, 68 of the locking devices 66, 66 arethe only portion of said devices which are visible when the grille isviewed from the front.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the air supply grilledescribed and shown may be utilized as a return grille or for exhaustingair from a room or other enclosure. Accordingly, it Will be understoodthat the term air supply grille, as used heretofore and in the claimswhich follow, is to be taken as illustrative of one use of the grilleonly and is not to be construed as limiting the invention to a grilleusable only for supplying air to a room or enclosure.

The invention claimed is:

1. An air supply grille comprising a generally rectangular sheet metalframe which is adapted to be mounted in an opening in a room wall andwhich has spaced parallel side walls and connecting end walls and anoutwardly projecting marginal ange along the front edges of said Wallsfor covering a marginal portion of the room Wall adjacent the openingtherein, a generally rectangular sheet metal core disposed within saidframe and having spaced parallel side walls adjacent said frame sidewalls and connecting end walls adjacent said frame end walls, said sideand end walls of said core serving to dene an air passageway and havingvtheir front edges substantially flush With the front surface of saidmarginal ilange on said frame and said end walls of said core beingprovided with bearing apertures arranged in longitudinally alignedpairs, a concealed locking device on each end Wall of said corecomprising a leaf spring mounted at one end on'the inner side of thewall and carrying a locking pin adjacent its free end, said locking pinsprojecting outwardly through and being movable in openings in said endwalls from outer locking positions toward which they are urged by theirrespective leaf springs to inner `releasing positions, the end walls ofsaid frame being provided with openings which receive said locking pinsin their locking positions to removably hold said core in said frame, aseries of transversely spaced parallel and longitudinally extendinglouvers disposed in said air passageway and having pivot pins atopposite ends entered in and projecting outwardly through said bearingapertures so as to be pivotally supported by said core end Walls andmanually adjustable to vary theA open area of of said air passageway,and retaining wires threaded in series through the spaces between theprojecting end portions of said pivot pins exteriorly of said end wallsand engaging and frictionally holding said pivot pins and theirrespective louvers in adjusted positions.

2. An air supply grille as set forth in claim 1 and including a parallelseries of longitudinally spaced transverse louvers having pivot pins atopposite ends which project outwardly through bearing apertures in theside walls of the core, and said grille also including additionalretaining wires which are threaded through the spaces between theprojecting end portions of said pivot pins on said transverse louversexteriorly of said side walls and which engage and frictionally holdsaid pivot pins and their respective louvers in adjusted positions.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS770,326 Slater Sept. 20, 1904 914,791 Clark Mar. 9', 1909 1,018,750Farquhar Feb. 27, 1912 1,068,965 Boehmler July 29, 1913 2,043,934 SpearJune 9, 1936 2,571,726 Koch Oct. 16, 1951 2,685,246 Saunders Aug. 3,1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,310 Great Britain Oct. 3l, 1910

